Ladies, let's be honest. We always want what we don't have. Especially when it comes to our hair. For example, girls with thin hair always tell me how badly they want thick hair. And girls with thick hair, oh boy, do most of us wish it were thinner. But hey, if you are totally happy with what God gave you, then GOOD, because you should be. You are one step ahead!
I happen to be a part of the group of girls with extremely thick hair, and to be honest, growing up, I hated it. I wished more than anything I had thinner hair that was easier to maintain and style. But the truth is, I later learned to love it because I learned how to manage it. Like all good things, when you figure out how to treat something, it can become something healthy and beautiful. Which is exactly what happened in my case! After years of awkward teenage-ness, I finally realized it wasn't my hair that was the problem: It was me.
I wasn't doing my research, taking care of my thick hair properly, or doing whatever I needed to tame it. I assumed the frizzy, thick puff that I woke up with every morning was normal and never going to change. Until I started taking steps to care for it correctly. So ladies, if you have the struggle of thick hair, appreciate it. It is a blessing, not a curse. (Even though for the longest time I swore it was). But here is a list of ways that I've learned have helped me love my thick hair the best:
1. Use the right shampoo and conditioner.
This is so important, y'all! This seemingly small step is EVERYTHING. The shampoo and conditioner you use truly sets the tone for the way your hair is going to act throughout the day. I know weather conditions can be hard to predict, but knowing you used the right products to help combat those changes can help you the whole day. Firstly, you have to know your hair and what it needs. Personally, a lot of my frizziness is natural, but also because my hair is overly dry and needs moisture to keep it tamed. So when I buy my shampoo and conditioner I always keep that in mind while picking it out. Basically, look for any shampoo & conditioner that says "moisture", or "for thick, curly hair", or "for frizziness", and ding ding ding you have a winner. I've noticed using anything other than that makes my hair just…blah.
One of the best products I've probably used (a little more on the pricey side but worth it), would be Redken "All Soft Mega" in a bronze bottle. I mean it honestly works wonders. My long, thick hair can't really live without it. I can feel a huge difference and I love it. It reduces my frizz overall and helps keep it soft and silky. Although, I realize the pricing isn't always ideal, so there are always other amazing ones at CVS or Walmart that you can get for cheaper. Some of my favorite hair products are from CVS, no shame whatsoever. I absolutely LOVE the "Maui Moisture" brand, and I use the orange bottles that say "for thick and curly hair" and seriously swear by them. They are amazing. And once you smell this product, let's just say you will thank me later.
2. DO NOT THIN OUT YOUR THICK HAIR WITH THINNING SHEARS.
Yikes, have I learned this one the hard way. I cannot say this enough: just don't. I am saying this with all the love in my heart. Do not do it. It might sound like a good idea at the time, but the repercussions of this decision are not worth it. You were blessed with thick, beautiful hair for a reason. Please do not thin it out in hopes to make it the way you want. I say this because I had to learn my lesson the hard way. Like real hard. One time, I got so frustrated with my hair that I told my hairdresser, "Just thin it out, it's driving me nuts."
Of course like I asked, she did. Except it turned out horrible. Like, "months later, still dealing with the aftermath" type of horrible. It looked stringy and way too thin at the bottom (since your hair grows from the top, it gets thick again at the top and then stays thin and dead at the bottom making it look really uneven and odd. Especially in a pony-tail), and you can actually see the kinks in my hair from where she used the thinning shears. Imagine my horror. I was in tears. Don't put yourself through that, it is not worth it. It grows back weird, it looks weird, and it isn't natural. You will only wish you would have left it alone, trust me.
3. Get a trim regularly.
I'm not going to lie, I never fully grasped this concept until around my senior year in high school. I always complained about how my hair never grew and was always frizzy at the ends, well what do you know? It's because I didn't adopt the idea of trimming for so long. No trimming means split ends. Split ends cause fuzzy ends, and also cause the hair to split all the way up your hair shaft which means: frizzy hair overall. So, a good way to keep your hair healthy and happy is to try and minimize some of that unnatural frizz by getting trims every three or four months (it is different for everybody but I would not wait more than five).
4. Use leave-in conditioner/ anti-frizz serum after you get out of the shower.
THIS. THIS. THIS. Wow, how life-changing this is. This is a crucial step for me. I have to spray leave-in conditioner in my hair after getting out of the shower or I know it will dry pretty crazy. The product I've used for over a year now that I adore is "It's a 10" leave-in conditioner spray. It's in a blue bottle with a pink top, and wow does it work wonders. You can read the back and it will tell you all the different benefits of this product for your hair, but a huge one is anti-frizz. And it works. Serums are great too and if I'm out of my spray, I'll just use Garnier Fructis anti-frizz serum and apply it throughout my damp hair. But be warned, I am not a beauty guru and I have no idea how this might work on other people, I am just simply trying to help some sistas out! But what I do know is the difference that any leave-in conditioner or serum can make to your hair when it comes to fighting that frizz! So important.
5. Avoid over blow-drying.
Many of us know this one, but try not to use a ton of heating tools on your hair. I know how tempting it can be because we all want to be able to smooth it out, but sometimes over-doing it can cause more harm than good. I've learned it makes my hair even frizzier if I choose to damage it constantly by blow-drying too much or straightening it constantly. Give those sweet locks a little breather here and there!
6. Don't over-brush.
For some, this won't matter much. Again, it all depends on you personally. But for me, if I run a brush through my dry hair, it is an absolute circus. The bristles in a brush are made to obviously separate hair and untangle knots, so because of that separation, it really just amps up the frizziness and makes it one big poof. If you over-brush your hair, you might be just constantly pressing the reset button on all your progress. Don't get me wrong, brushing is very important, but you just have to get the timing right. For me, brushing all day every chance I get is a recipe for a poufy disaster.
7. The "braid-it" trick.
OK, this is a little silly and might not be worth anyone's time, but a little trick I've learned is the "braid-it" trick. If my hair is dry and I notice it is starting to get a little frizzy, but mainly puffy, ill braid it into a loose braid and let it sit for a little bit. I've realized that because my hair is already so thick, the loose braid doesn't leave any weird crinkles after I take it down. So when I take it out, it actually is less puffy and looks more maintained than before, for some reason. Now, this could totally be all in my head and probably is, but it's something that works for me in a time of need. It gives my hair a chance to relax a little and calm down a little before it gets too crazy. Like I said, totally a long-shot and probably just in my head, but definitely recommend to try it if you have absolutely nothing else, lol.
8. EMBRACE IT.
The most important thing on this list: embrace it. You were blessed with beautiful thick hair and should be proud of it for a reason!!! As frustrating and annoying as it can be, there are people in this world who are balding or already bald. Be happy you are not one of those people. Because then you would wish you were YOU. (Sorry to all my baldies out there, y'all rock too. Just trying to share some much-needed encouragement with my ladiezzz). So rejoice in knowing you will have this gift for years to come, never having to worry about the complications of young-balding. So many people out there wish they had more hair, don't be the person who has it and takes it for granted. You are lucky and blessed! Embrace the amazing-ness of what God gave you! And if you haven't already learned to love it, you will.
